Hey mamas! When I had Ford I was naive to so many things about motherhood. Breastfeeding, sleepless nights, postpartum anxiety, and so much more. I obviously had heard about these things but never actually took the time to research and educate myself further. One thing I didn’t think about in the slightest was the idea of self-care. I knew I’d have to heal from childbirth and take care of my body physically but not once did I think about what I needed to take care of myself on a larger scale.

When I heard the term self-care, the first thoughts that popped into my head were facials and spa days. It never occurred to me that those things weren’t actually self-care at all. Self-care is so much deeper than any pore cleansing facial will get you. It wasn’t until after I had pretty bad postpartum anxiety that I realized that I needed to be doing a little bit more to taking care of myself than I had originally thought. And I’m sure a lot of other moms feel this way too.

So today, I want to talk about 3 of the biggest misconceptions about self-care.

Self Care is selfish

I often hear people say of their mothers, “She always put her family first and never does anything for herself.” But what we don’t realize is taking that time for ourselves actually is better for our family in the long run. You can’t be your best self and give your family your best self if you’re not taking care of yourself! It’s not selfish in the slightest, it’s actually the only way to put your family first!

Self Care is Self indulgent

As I said above, a lot of people think self-care is as simple as getting a pedicure, and while that is a VERSION of self-care, it’s not the only way you should be practicing it! Self- care should look more like exercising, journaling, meditating, etc. Really taking the time to recharge yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. Here are some other examples!

Self care is optional

In those newborn days, taking care of yourself is a bit more about simply surviving. But as time goes on, that survival mode only lasts for so long. You need to start filling your cup back up! Because when you pour and pour yourself out without taking the time to fill yourself back up, you will eventually have an empty cup. And the people who you’ve been giving so much of yourself to will have to try to put you back together. So self-care is not an option but a necessity for being the best version of yourself for YOU and your family.

It has taken me some time to realize, but what I want most out of life is to be the best version of myself for my family. The best version of me is a patient, fun, loving mom and wife! I want that for the people around me, and I especially want that for me. And it doesn’t happen without self-care.

So ask yourself, are you neglecting YOU?

If you are, I hope you start to give yourself some of the time and attention you need, mama. Even if you have to start small

Because it’s not self-indulgent, it’s not optional, and it’s most definitely not selfish! You’re an incredible mom. And you deserve to be taken care of!

I hope you enjoyed this post, 3 Misconceptions about Self Care, and if you need help getting started try taking the free quiz below!